Author: moqups

Introducing the Dashboard

Managing Projects, Teams and Accounts just got easier. The new Dashboard separates these three management functions from the Editor’s UI – and unifies them in a single space with its own URL: https://my.moqups.com.

Now, you can navigate directly to your Dashboard’s URL or, if you’re already in the Editor, you can click on any of the Projects, Teams or Accounts links to open the Dashboard in its own browser window. There, you’ll find the Projects, Teamsand Accounts tabs. This makes it easy to get a quick snapshot of your team’s activity, and to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

With the introduction of the Dashboard, we’ve also redesigned the Projects Window. You can now view your projects in either Thumbnail or List view – and quickly toggle between the two. This richer visual experience makes it simple to identify projects at a glance.

Up to 10x Better Performance

We know that speed matters. Nimble performance means less frustration, more productivity, and an uninterrupted flow. That’s why we are proud to announce that we’ve optimized the initial rendering time – up to a massive 10x in some cases – for both pages and objects. Our development team made this possible by rewriting the underlying stencil-rendering architecture. Thanks to their efforts, the experience of switching between pages in Edit Mode, or using interactive prototypes in Viewer mode, is snappy and seamless. And, if you’re designing on hardware with more limited resources (e.g. touch devices or entry level laptops), then your experience just got a boost.

But don’t think we’re doing a victory lap, or resting on our laurels. On the contrary, we know our customers demand constant improvements in both stability and performance – especially as their projects grow in size and complexity. As a result, we remain committed to perpetual iteration and innovation, and to pushing the boundaries.

Global Opacity for Objects

Previously, you could adjust the opacity, individually, for both the Fill and Stroke of objects. But making an entire object semi-transparent was repetitive and cumbersome. Now, it’s easy.

Open the Format Panel (by clicking on the Format tab in the Right Sidebar) and you’ll see the global Opacity slider. For more control, you can still use the individual Fill & Stroke opacity settings. Just as before, you’ll find these inputs in Color Picker panel. If you want to customize even further, you can adjust the Fill & Stroke opacity, together with Global Opacity, for a combined visual result!

This has always been one of our most requested features – and its arrival is long overdue. The issues of rendering during Export to PNG and PDF made it a tricky technical problem. But we are happy to say that now, thanks to our revamped export engine, global opacity renders – without compromise – on both your web and your exported assets.

Improved Resizing Behaviour For Text

In the past, changing font sizes and styles within objects was a hassle. Objects often repositioned themselves unpredictably, and you had to manually adjust your text after updating the fonts. That erratic behaviour is gone. Objects now automatically, and reliably, align themselves with your font’s typographic baseline. This is a small but important change that should speed up your workflow, and reduce your frustration. In upcoming releases, we’ll be adding baseline-snapping, and we’ll tune up a variety of other actions connected to typographic parameters.

Page Layout and Paper Grids Enhancements

In response to lots of requests, we’ve improved our Grids for this release. First, there’s a subtle, aesthetic change: We’ve made the gridlines more graceful and less distracting. We’ve also improved their functionality so that, finally, you have the option of drawing the grids on top of objects. And, we’ve automated settings for both Layout and Paper Grids so that you can specify the number of columns, or their width, and the grid will calculate and adjust them accordingly. There’s also new left and right margin options for the Layout Grid. Now, it’s easier to keep elements in alignment while working faster and more precisely.

Getting Serious about Mobile

In this release, we’ve fixed a number of issues that prevented both the Editor and Viewer from functioning properly on tablets. These fixes improve basic functionality like:

Dragging and dropping objects on the page

Scrolling through the list of stencils in the Stencil Panel

Selecting, resizing and moving objects on the page

All these, and a bunch of others actions, should be much better now. But this is just the first of several incremental Mobile improvements that are already in the pipeline.

Our goal is nothing less than a fully optimized Moqups experience on Mobile – and it’s one of our highest engineering priorities.

Now, Atlassian customers can use Moqups to create in-place diagrams, wireframes, and prototypes – all within the security of the Atlassian ecosystem.

We are expanding our presence in the Atlassian Marketplace because we believe Moqups and Atlassian share a common goal: helping all kinds of teams enhance the flexibility, freedom and agility of their development process – from concept to launch.

Within a single Moqups add-on, JIRA and Confluence Server teams can now design with wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes – and diagram with flowcharts, UI workflows, UX storyboards, sitemaps, mind maps, and org charts.

By providing an all-in-one visualization tool, Moqupsbridges the communication gap between designers, developers, and project managers. When different departments use different tools, they can inadvertently create barriers to communication – and isolate their teams within silos. Moqups removes that disconnect by keeping all stakeholders on the same page.

Agile teams require transparent, accessible information, as well as the ability to create, edit, comment, and collaborate seamlessly. Moqups’ fast learning curve and intuitive UI empower team members to contribute freely, despite their diverse competencies and qualifications. This ensures that every voice gets heard – and no vital insight falls between the cracks.

In an agile context, where specifications can change with every iteration, Moqups helps team members communicate their requirements quickly and clearly. In both JIRA and ConfluenceServer instances, teams can give shape to ideas with the click of a button. And, since Moqups Projects are embedded right in JIRA Server issues and ConfluenceServer pages, collaborators can easily respond with feedback right on the design.

The Atlassian ecosystem unleashes the potential of teams by providing them with flexible, customizable add-ons to extend the Atlassian suite. We think Moqups is a great fit for that ecosystem because we help teams unify and streamline their visual workflow within a single, creative context.

We’re thrilled by the release of Moqups for Confluence Server and Moqups for JIRA Server, and our collaboration with Atlassian is just beginning! Teams that need the full spectrum of Moqups functionality – including Team and Project management – can expect two further additions to the Marketplace – Moqups for Confluence Cloud and Moqups for JIRA Cloud – later this quarter.

Ideas are flowing and productivity’s peaking. All you want is to extend your game – to play a little longer in that rarified state.

The last thing you want is to break focus by switching apps, migrating files, or adjusting to a new interface.

That’s why our users have been urging us to extend the capabilities of Moqups.

They want to stay within the creative context of our platform, from the earliest stages of ideation, through to the final steps of prototyping and presentation.

Last year, to help make that workflow possible, we introduced Diagramming. We made it easier to capture concepts, structure ideas, and clarify communication throughout the entire design process.

Now, we are focused on expanding our prototyping capability. We’ve made it simpler and quicker to simulate user interactions – so that you can focus on productive work, not on time-consuming workarounds.

Interactions Panel

The first change you’ll notice is the new Interactions Panel. It consolidates Hotspots and Interactions and is the future home for all new prototyping functionality.

To open the Interactions Panel, click the Interactions Tab at the top of the right sidebar.

Workspace settings have also been unified under a single menu. Just click on the Workspace button, in the top toolbar, to toggle rulers, guides, and snapping – and to configure page settings such as size and background color.

Object Interactions

The big news is that we’ve gone well beyond simple page interactions by adding a whole new suite of object interactions.

If you want to simulate user navigation, then Page interactions are the perfect tool. But if you need to prototype the behavior of specific UI elements – in response to various triggers – then page interactions are insufficient to the task.

Previously, you had to create an individual page for every single stage of the interaction’s state – and then use page interactions to link those multiple pages together.

Now, you can work on a single page, and add multiple interactions to a single object – or even groups of objects.

Because you no longer have to jump back and forth between pages, your workflow gets simpler and faster. And, without multiple pages for each interaction, your page tree becomes cleaner and easier to scan.

With these new capabilities, you can Show, Hide, Toggle Visibility, and Scroll to Objects in response to specific events: Click or Tap, Double-Click, Right-Click, Mouse Over and Mouse Out.

This makes it easy to simulate all kinds of interactions, including:

Drop down menus

Opening and closing a window or modal dialog in response to a button click

Showing a context menu on right click

Scrolling to a particular area, or element, on the click of a navigation link

A radio, checkbox or switch control that can be toggled

To add an object interaction:

Click the Interactions Tab to open the panel

Go to the Add Interaction section

Select the object or group to which you want to add the interaction

Choose a trigger from the ON drop-down

In the DO drop-down, select an action from the Object Interactions list

Click the Target button to turn on Target Selection Mode

To select your target, click any object or group, either on the Page or in the Outline Panel

Click Done to apply the interaction

Once you’ve applied an interaction, it shows in the Interactions list at the top of the panel. As you add additional interactions to the same object, you’ll see them listed there as well. You can easily edit or delete any interaction from the list – or duplicate it for quick reuse.

Note: You can toggle the visibility of your target on and off within the Outline Panel. This is useful if you want that target-object’s initial state to be invisible.

The addition of object interactions means that experienced users can prototype further and faster in Moqups. And those who are new to prototyping will discover a process that is both accessible and intuitive.

And we’re upping our own game too. Upcoming releases will focus on expanding our prototyping functionality, and improving the experience on mobile devices. That’s our next target!

A place for everything and everything in its place

We know how quickly projects can expand in both scope and complexity, extending to hundreds – or even thousands – of pages. Even a one-page concept can result in dozens of iterations as collaborators provide their feedback and suggestions.

And it can be a challenge to keep track of that many pages, search through them quickly, edit them efficiently, and present them clearly to stakeholders.

Our goal is to help your team structure their projects effectively – and focus on the creative work, not the challenge of organization!

That’s why we’ve redesigned our Pages Panel to include organizational tools that are both powerful and intuitive :

Folders

With folder-based hierarchies, we’ve made it easy to keep your evolving projects organized. To create a new folder, just click on the Create a New Folder icon – and then drag it where you need it!

Multiple Page Selection

You can now perform bulk operations on multiple pages at once. Drag and drop to move, reorder, delete, export and more. You’re no longer limited to managing only one page at a time.

To select a sequential series of pages or folders, click the first item; then hold down Shift and click on the last item in the list. To select multiple pages or folders, hold down the Command/Ctrl key, and click on individual items to choose them.

New Folder With Selection

After selecting multiple pages, group them together within a new folder by simply right-clicking and choosing New Folder With Selection. We think you’ll like this elegant little time-saver!

Hide Work In Progress

Nesting pages and folders is a handy way of coping with multiple versions and iterations. However, when sharing and showcasing your work, you may have pages, or even whole folders, with material that’s not quite ready for prime-time. Or, you may want to eliminate visual distractions by presenting with a clean Pages sidebar. To hide pages or folders (as well as their their nested contents) just click on the Eye icon to the right of their name. This will also make them invisible in Preview mode, and in any export of the project.

Page Trash

Don’t panic. If you – or any of your collaborators – accidentally delete some important pages, they can easily be recovered from the Trash.

When you click on the More icon in the Pages toolbar, you’ll automatically see a counter of your trashed items – right beside View Trash. Selecting that option will open the Trash window. There, you can select the pages you want to rescue, and just hit Restore Pages.

Streamlined and Harmonized UI

We’ve streamlined the design of the Pages panel in order to accommodate all these new functionalities – and to make the UI both cleaner and more intuitive. In order to unify the designs of all our Panel interfaces, we’ll soon by applying the same look to the Outline, Templates, Images and Icons Panels. So, stay tuned!

If you are a faithful reader of our blog, you’ll know that, since we introduced Comments with the release of Moqups 2, we’ve posted severaltimes about new upgrades to our discussion platform.

And because so many of you are using Comments for essential design conversations, we’ve been swamped by your insightful suggestions. This feedback has motivated us to keep tweaking its functionality – making the platform cleaner, quicker, and more intuitive.

These changes aren’t so big that we dare to call them ‘releases’ or even ‘upgrades.’ Instead, they’re the kind of improvements that you might not even notice:

Elegant animations when comments are added

Counters for unread comments for each page in the sidebar

Filter and show conversations by read, unread, and resolved

Handy mute-notification icons

And… other subtle updates

You’ll discover most of these changes quite naturally, as you navigate through your team’s many discussion threads. We hope that some will make you smile – and that all of them will speed your workflow, to make your team’s discussions both distraction and barrier-free.

We have a bunch of further refinements in the pipeline. However, since we’ve had lots of requests for a comprehensive summary, we’ve decided to release a new video – Everything You Need To Know About Comments – for both experts and newbies alike.

As the title suggests, the tutorial covers every aspect of the platform’s features and functionality. Not surprisingly, it is also our longest video so far. So, grab some popcorn, settle in, and please enjoy the show:

Check out our bountiful crop of sweet updates – and pick your own to try!

Connector Labels for Diagrams

Two months ago, in response to the overwhelming demand, we added professional-grade Diagramming functionality to Moqups. We wanted our users to be able to create, extend, and update diagrams at every stage of the design process — all from within the Moqups ecosystem.

At that time, we knew our Diagramming tool didn’t have all the features we wanted to include but, because so many people were itching to give it a try, we released it as soon as it was solid. Since then, though, we have continued to refine and develop its functionality, adding a number of enhanced features that will extend its usefulness — and make our users’ experience both quicker and simpler.

The first is the ability to add labels directly to connector lines themselves. This is an essential component for workflow diagrams, especially when you need to indicate Yes or No decisions. Labels are also useful for delineating connector lines in complex diagrams, making it easier to identify them — and to navigate.

To add one or more labels to any connector, simply double-click on the connector line. And, once you add a connector label, it will automatically remain attached to that line — and adjust intelligently as you modify and update your diagram.

And you can quickly reuse your labels by cloning them. Copy-and-paste, or just drag a label while holding down the Alt/Option key — just as you would do with any other Moqups objects.

We’ve also designed a terrific feature to speed your workflow — one that’s actually missing from many of the most dedicated diagramming solutions on the market: The ability to detach and reconnect labels. Just click and pull any label away from a line; the label will automatically detach and, as you drag it towards a different line, it will seamlessly and intelligently snap into place.

Background Color for Pages

This has been one of our most requested additions. So… we are pleased to announce that you can finally add color to the background of a page! Click on the Workspace icon in the top-left corner of the toolbar to reveal the Background Color option. The color-picker will set the background color for the page that you’ve currently selected — and for all new pages that you create within that project. Just to the right of the color picker, you’ll find the Apply to all pages link; this allows you to retroactively apply that color to the background of any pre-existing pages — a quick way to update your project and keep things consistent.

Full Screen Mode for Viewer

When you present your projects, you don’t want your audience distracted by the menus and toolbars in the Moqups interface. You just want them focused on your work! Our new Full Screen mode helps that happen by showcasing your designs clearly and cleanly.

Enter the Viewer — by clicking the Preview button — and you’ll see the Full Screen icon in the top right of the toolbar. Click the icon to hide the Moqups interface and enter Full Screen mode. If you want to go even further, and hide the entire browser window, just hold down the Alt key while clicking the Full Screen icon. This will allow your project to fill the entire screen during your presentation. Just hit the Esc key when you’re done to exit Full Screen mode.

Open Links in Full Screen & On a Specific Page

We’ve also added a couple of nifty options that should prove useful when sharing your work:

You can now create a link that opens directly on a specific page. Just navigate to that page and click on the Sharing icon in the top toolbar; in the pop-up, you’ll see the Start with the current page checkbox. If you select that option, the Project link will adapt immediately.

And, right below the Start with current page option, you’ll see that we’ve also made it possible for you to create links that open directly into Full Screen as well.

These two features should help streamline communication with both team members and collaborators — and keep everybody’s attention focused.

Navigate Between Conversations With Arrow Keys

Now, you can quickly navigate between conversations using the left and right arrow keys — without even touching your mouse. Once you’ve opened a conversation, the right key will take you to the next conversation, and the left arrow to the previous one.

Fixes, Additions & Improvements

Fixed: Custom guides disappeared randomly when using an external monitor

Fixed: Snapping while holding the Shift key is less erratic

Added: Experimental option to change the default method of selecting objects – from selection by intersection to selection by enclosure. For now, you can find this option in the Under The Hood section in the Workspace sidebar.

Added: Updated the list of available fonts to include dozens of newly available Google Fonts

Improved: The expanded/collapsed state of page hierarchies is now maintained across log-in sessions. This is the first in a series of significant page management improvements that we’ll roll out with upcoming releases.

Diagramming was once a tool used primarily by System Architects and Business Analysts. But now, almost every kind of project begins with someone — or some team being tasked with creating diagrams.

At Moqups, we know that these diagrams can be as varied as the people who make them. They might be flowcharts, giving shape and clarity to the complex user-interactions and workflows within your software. Or sitemaps, offering bird’s-eye views of your website’s information architecture — before you move on to the graphic design phase. They can be use-case diagrams that help anticipate your clients’ needs. Or even something simpler — a decision tree to make abstract choices concrete, or just a few lines and arrows to help your audience visualize the flow of your app.

But whatever their form, these diagrams are essential to a project’s success. They aren’t just part of the initial planning process. At every stage of development and implementation, teams rely on those diagrams and need them immediately at hand — for reference, guidance and documentation. And, as projects evolve, diagrams must as well. A good diagram can — and should — be a key part of any project’s rhythm and flow.

However, many users don’t need the full capabilities of a complicated diagramming tool — or the distraction of complex UML — just to create a useful sitemap. They just need an elegant solution that fits comfortably into their existing workflow.

That’s why we’ve built a clean, intuitive Diagramming tool – with exactly the functionality you want – right into Moqups 2. Let’s take a look:

To enter Diagramming mode, click the Diagram button in the top-toolbar (or press ‘D’). You’ll immediately see groups of pale blue dots (connecting points) appear around the edges of the objects on the page.

To draw a line between any two objects, click on one of these dots, and drag the cursor towards the second object. As the line approaches a connecting point, it will snap and “stick” – showing that it’s attached. And, it will remain connected, even as you move, resize or rotate objects!

We’ve crafted intelligent algorithms that help draw connectors around objects, so they won’t get tangled up.

To exit Diagramming mode, just click anywhere on an empty surface on the page (or hit ‘D’ or Esc).

Depending on which connector style you choose, you’ll also be able to fine tune the shape of the connector lines by adjusting the vertical and horizontal offset-handles.

If you want to customize your connectors – by changing the line-style, or the start-and-end markers, just go to the Connector Style section of the Styles Panel (on the right sidebar). From there, you can pick alternative line-styles: orthogonal, orthogonal rounded, curved or straight. You can also choose from a variety of start-and-end markers.

Last but not least, we’ve added new flowchart stencils – under the “Flowchart Diagrams” category – in the Stencils Panel (on the left sidebar). These dedicated stencils should be enough to get you started but, of course, you can connect any Moqups object, stencil or image – even one of your own templates!

Now, you can easily create – and improvise – any kind of diagram you need.We really hope you’ll love this new feature in Moqups… because we believe that diagramming is for everyone.